Shoe form



Dec. 29, 1936.

W. J. DE WITT SHOE FORM Filed April '25, 1935 Patented Dec. 29, 19.36

OFIC

SHOE FGRM tion of New York Application April 25, 1935, Serial No. 18,202

8 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in shoe forms adapted for holding the top portions of footwear in plumped or filled out condition.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a shoe form which is contracted both as it is inserted into and as it is withdrawn from the shoe thereby facilitating its manipulation. Heretofore forms for this purpose have been made contractible while being inserted into the shoe and correspondingly expanded while being withdrawn therefrom or vice versa.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shoe form having in addition to the above mentioned contracting feature means for yieldingly holding the form in contact with the wall of the shoe toe.

These and other objects will appear from a consideration of the following description of the invention and of the accompanying drawing which constitutes a part thereof and in which Fig. l is a side elevation of a shoe form embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view thereof taken along the line 2-4 in Fig. 1 showing one embodiment of this invention;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the form shown in Fig. 2, positioned within the toe of a shoe;

Figs. 4 and 5 are similar bottom plan views of shoe forms showing other embodiments of this invention; and

Fig. 6 is a detail view showing another development of the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The shoe form It includes a toe portion H provided with inturned bottom flanges 52 which are here shown as connected at the tip although they may be separate. The toe portion I! is preferably but not necessarily made of inherently resilient material such as celluloid and is capable of being expanded or contracted.

The expanding means comprises a spring member which normally holds the toe portion in the desired expanded condition. Such spring member may be of any well known type and is shown in the drawing as comprising a length of spring wire l5 having a U-shaped contour. The wire I5 rests upon the flanges l2 and. the ends thereof are secured to studs or rivets i6 mounted upon the flanges at a position corresponding approximately to the location of the ball of the normal foot. The various embodiments shown in the drawing each include the structure which has been described.

In the embodiment shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the flanges H are connected by a cross brace 29 made up of two sections 2!. Each of said sections is pivotally secured at its outer end to a stud or rivet l5 and is provided at its inner end with a slot 22. The inner ends of the sections ll overlap and a stud or rivet 23 is passed through both the slots 22. Secured at one end to the stud or rivet 23 is a bar 2 terminating at the other end in a loop 25 by which the shoe form is manipulated when inserted into or withdrawn from the shoe. Forward pressure upon the bar 25 causes the cross brace sections 2! to swing forwardly about the studs or rivets 16 thus contracting the sides of the toe portion fl and facilitating the insertion of the form into the shoe. When the form is in position in the shoe, pressure on the bar 24 is removed and the spring wire IE: expands the sides of the toe portion into contact with the wall of the shoe.

When the inserted form is to be withdrawn retracting pressure is exerted upon the bar 2 and the cross brace sections 2! are swung rearwardly about the studs or rivets It so that the retractive pressure contracts the sides of the toe portion and the form is quickly and easily withdrawn. As shown in Fig. 3 when the shoe form is inserted in a narrow toe, the walls of which are indicated by the section line 26, the cross brace sections 2! remain swung forwardly. When the retractive pressure is applied to the bar 25 the sections are first swung into alignment, as shown in dotted lines, the effective length of the sections being reduced as the slotted inner ends advance past the stud or rivet 23. The continuance of the retractive pressure obviously swings the cross brace sections rearwardly so that the sides of the toe portion are contracted. The stud or rivet 23 remains at all times in the slots 22 and by reason of the'length of the slots this movement of the inner ends of the cross brace sections past the stud can take place easily.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 4 the cross brace 30 is made up of two sections 3! each being resilient through the provision of an intermediate coil loop 32. The outer ends of the sections 3| are pivotally secured to the studs or rivets l6 and the inner ends to the stud or rivet 23 to which the inner end of the bar 24 is secured. When the shoe form is inserted into a shoe by the bar 24 the forward pressure exerted on the bar causes the sections 3| to swing forwardly about the studs or rivets l6 and contract the sides of the toe portion. The spring wire I5 expands the sides of the toe portion as soon as the form is in position and. the pressure on the bar 24 is relieved. The sections 3| are swung rearwardly about the studs or rivets It to contract the sides of the toe portion when retractive pressure is exerted upon the bar 24 to withdraw the form. The coil loops 32 permit the effective length of the sections 3| to be reduced as the sections approach alignment so that no difiiculty is experienced in withdrawing the form even though it be inserted in a narrow shoe as suggested in Fig. 3.

The embodiment shown in Fig. 5 is simpler than those previously described. The cross brace Fig. 6 illustrates the cross brace of a form similar to that shown in Figs. 2 and 3 and differing therefrom in that the'cross brace sections 5| are of flat metal instead of Wire. The slots 52 in the inner ends thereof receive the rivet 23.

It will be noted that in each of the embodiments the exertion of either forward or retractive pressure upon the bar 24 causes the cross brace sections to swing upon the studs or rivets H5 and contract the sides of the toe portion and the spring wire i5 acts as an expanding means to hold the sides of the toe portion against the material of the shoe toe when the form is in the shoe and to bring the cross brace sections into their normal position of alignment when the form is out of the shoe.

While certain embodiments of this invention have been shown and described it will be understood that I am not limited thereto and that other embodiments may be made within the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the follow: ing claims.

I claim:

1. A shoe form comprising a toe portion the sides of which may be expanded or contracted, a cross brace connecting sides of the toe portion and consisting of at least two sections and a bar connected to both said sections so that the exertion upon the bar of either forward or retractive pressure for inserting the form into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes the sections to contract the sides of the toe portion.

2. A shoe form comprising a toe portion the sides of which may be expanded or contracted, across brace connecting sides of the toe portion and consisting of at least two sections, a bar connected to both said sections so that the exertion upon the bar of either forward or retractive pressure for inserting the form into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes the sections to contract the sides of the toe portion and means for expanding the sides of said toe portion.

3. A shoe form comprising a toe portion the sides of which may be expanded or contracted, a cross brace connecting sides of the toe portion and consisting of at least two sections, a bar connected to both said sections so that the exertion upon the bar of either forward or retractive pressure for inserting the form into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes the sections to contract the sides of the toe portion and means carried by the toe portion for normally holding the cross brace sections in alignment.

- 4. A shoe form comprising a toe portion the sides of which may be expanded or contracted, means for expanding the toe portion, bottom flanges extending inwardly from said sides, studs in said flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges and consisting of two sections pivoted at the outer ends to said flange studs, a stud to which the inner ends pivotally engage and a bar connected to said last named stud, the cross brace sections being free to swing forwardly and rearwardly about said flange studs whereby the exertion of either forward or retractive pressure upon the bar for inserting the form into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes said sections to swing and thereby contract the sides of the toe portion.

5. A shoe form comprising a toe portion the sides of which maybe expanded or contracted, bottom flanges extending inwardly from said sides, studs in said flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges and consisting of two sections pivoted at the outer ends to said flange studs, a stud to which the inner ends pivotally engage, a bar connected to said last named stud, the cross brace sections being free to swing forwardly and rearwardly about said flange studs whereby the exertion of either forward or retractive pressure upon the bar for inserting the form into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes said sections to swing and thereby contract the sides of the toe portion and a spring wire carried by said to portion for expanding the sides thereof.

6. A shoe form comprising a toeportion the sides of which may be expanded or contracted, bottom flanges extending inwardly from said sides, studs in said flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges and consisting of two sections pivoted at the outer ends to said flange studs the inner ends overlapping and being provided with longitudinally extending slots, a stud extending through the slots in the sections and a bar connected to said stud, the sections being movable relative to said stud by reason of said slots to vary the effective length of the cross brace whereby the exertion of either forward or retrac- V tive pressure upon the bar for inserting the form a into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes the sections to swing about the flange studs and thereby contract the sides of the toe portion.

'7. A shoe form comprising a toe portion the sides of which may be expanded or contracted, bottom flanges extending inwardly from said sides, studs in said flanges, a cross brace con necting said flanges and consisting of two sections pivoted at the outer ends to said flange studs, a stud which the inner ends pivotallyengage, loops in said sections by which the effective length of the cross brace is varied, and a bar connected to said last named stud whereby the exertion of either forward or retractive pressure upon the bar for inserting the form into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes the sections to swing about the flange studs and thereby contract the sides of the toe portion.

8. A shoe form comprising a toe portion the sides of which may be expanded or contracted, bottom flanges extending inwardly from said sides, studs in said flanges, a cross brace connecting said flanges and consisting of two sections pivoted at the outer ends to said flange studs, a stud which the inner ends pivotally engage, loops in said sections intermediate their length by which the effective length of the cross brace is varied, and a bar connected to said last named stud whereby the exertion of either forward or retractive pressure upon the bar for inserting the form into a shoe or withdrawing it therefrom causes the sections to swing about the flange studs and thereby contract the sides of the toe portion.

WILLIAM J. DE WITT. 

